Interrogatory Tea

On Friday evening Guyke, Prince of Paradijs, and his suitor Garrett Smith received an invitation for tea with the laird and his royal consort at their summer palace.

As the Crown Prince of Southern Charm, Guyke of course understood that the "invitation" was nothing less than a lairdal command. His beautiful face turned ashen and he gasped for breath as his hands shook slightly while he made it crystal clear to Garrett that the plans they had for the evening must be cancelled.

When the young men arrived at the summer palace they were greeted by Tomais and Bock. Tomais was his usual exuberant charming self and immediately put Garrett at ease with his friendliness. The laird was more withdrawn and claimed to have some important state duties to take care of while Tomais showed Garrett the palace and the grounds.

The lairds urgent business was in fact to receive the latest updates on a dossier about Garrett Smith and his life, in first life, SecondLife and all his other Internet activities during the last 15 years that had been assembled by the Southern Charm Secret Service (SCSS) and its affiliates (the American NSA, CSI and FBI, the British Secret Service, MI 5 and MI 6 and the Israeli Mossad). The dossier was now more than twelve inches thick, nothing the man had ever done had escaped scrutiny.

As the laird could not be expected to memorize it all he was supplied with an earphone connected to one of his aides who would supply him with information throughout the "interview" with the unsuspecting Garrett.

After the tour was over, the four of them sat down at the kitchen table for some tea, scones, pleasant conversation and a meticulously veiled interrogation.

Garrett did and said everything right, there was nothing underhanded or dishonest in his answers to the questions that the laird posed to him. The relief that the laird felt on the outcome of the interview was noticeable both on his face and in his demeanor.

Everyone was able to relax and enjoy the rest a very pleasant evening, part of it dancing as mermen.

However the laird was somewhat confused about why his stepson started blushing and frantically giggling every time Garrett mentioned his possession of a Texas longhorn. Why would the ownership of cattle get the boy in such a tizzy?